The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-10-13
Extracted IRON the Records Of the Archaic
Club.
by PERcIvAL LESLIE.

A few afternoons after their arri-
val, a party was formed to pay
visit to the native burial place on
the mountain, of which so much had
been told them. The unvarnished
stories of the horrors it presented,
and the unchristianlike manner in
which the interments were made so
excited the curiosity Of the Chaplain
that his determination to see the
| place, became immovable, and ac-
cordingly, they started early in the
afternoon.
Scorning the only means of con-
veyance-the donkey, they started
afoot and began the exhaustive task
of climbing the almost vertical
mountain side. After carefully
stepping and innumerable clutch
ing in the sand, they would halt a
few minutes to gain fresh supply
OF wind power, and then resume the
journey. After going through this
performance several times they
finally reached the level ground
and threw themselves upon the
sandy-finty ground utterly prostra-
ted. Having breathed little spell
and resusitated exhausted nature
with liberal drafts upon very sus-
picions looking straw covered bot
tie, they wendell their way to the
point of interest, which was reached
in about an hour.
Crawling through a kennel door
looking opening in the bamboo fence
that surrounded the place, they
stood in the silent City of the Dead.
From the appearance of the place,
it seemed as though the world, as
we'll as this place, was abode of the
dead, for not a blade of grass,
tree, nor even the withered leaves
of remembrance wreath was there.
All-all seemed like hideous farce,
wherein was sung the mockery OF
life. Men who had walked in life,
and perchance in their time had
welded the nations power, or shap
ed the Republics destiny, lay here
fast going to dust, or already dust
mingled with the stuff the winds
blew in your eyes, with nothing to
note their presence. 1t really look
! ed as though civilization had paid
, but a flying visit, and then fled the
!, place in disgust. Here to the right
was mound of earth, sunken at the
> head, by the inroads of many a
> mountain storm, from which hide
, GUS with all its CHASTITY horror, peer
! ed skull, whose empty sockets
! held the writhing worm, and whose
, gumless mouth grinned frightful
leer. Almost sick, and utterly dis
gusted, the Chaplain was about
leaving, when the large gates were
slowly opened, and handful of
people, bearing on their shoulders
, a sort of litter entered the yard, and
slowly wendell their way to the censs
: tire of the enclosure, and there stop
ping, two men descended into pit,
! whilst the others, with gestures of
! grief clustered about the litter. I'M
: PEELED by curiosity the visitors drew
, near the spot, and stood unobserv-
ed spectators of the ceremony. The
two men who had gone into the pit
, soon emerged bearing coffin shap-
, ed box, into which the object on the
|, litter-which they soon perceived
was the body of child-was placed.
Fastening the lid on the box, they
bore it into the pit, and returning
they gently quit the place. After
they had gone-the Chaplain ap-
preached the pit, and on looking
into it, a sight presented itself that
made the blood curdle in his veins.
Countless bodies were piled promis-
cuously one upon the other-some
in collins and others with no cover
ing except the burial shroud, land in
every stage of decomposition
whilst on the top lay the body of a
young person lately buried, which
the late burial party had ruthlessly
thrown from its coffin to make room
for the new conner. Disguised and
almost nauseated they quickly left
the place, nor stopped to rest till
they were some distance away
where with burning eloquence the
Reverend visitor rallied against the
institutions that allowed such sacri-
lege.
The party we're about starting
homeward, when boy, astride q
dull looking donkey passed them, and
being hailed by the loquacious mid
shipman who was one of the party
and who insisted that the Chaplain
should walk no farther gladly
agreed to the donkey being used for
the gentleman's convenience. The
Chaplain with the assistance of his
friends got astride the poor beast,
and after sundry pattings ON the
neck and soothing words began the
journey down the mountain.
A more ludicrous sight could not
well wished to be seen. The dom
kew was low of statue, and the rider
far above the average height of
man. So consequently when the
rider sat astride on him his legs were
so long that his toes trailed on the
ground, and ever and anon coming
Unexpectedly in contact with a
stone in the road, caused the usually